.LOIR, NICOLAS, a distinguished French painter and etcher, was born at Paris in 1624. Ilia father was an eminent jeweller, and he placed Nicolas with Sebastien Bourdon, and sent him afterwards, in 1647, to complete his studies in Rome. Here Loir studied chiefly the works of N. Poussin, and so carefully, that in some instances it is said to be scarcely possible to distinguish Loir's copies from the originals. lie had great facility of execution, and excelled in various styles, as history, landscape, and architecture. He also composed with elegance, and his colouring is agreeable; but his design is somewhat affected, and is not always vigorous or correct in its outline. He painted at Rome an excellent picture of 'Darius opening the Tomb of Semiramis,' which obtained him a great reputation. lie returned to Paris in 1649, and was shortly afterwards employed by Louis XIV., at the Tuileries and at Versailles. Ile painted two apartments in the Tuileries— the Antichambre du Roy and the Sallee des Garden, where, by the mythical representation of the sun and other figures, he illustrated the distinctive character of the life and reign of Louis XIV.; and so far to the monarch's satisfaction, that he obtained by these works a life-pension of 4000 francs.
In 1663 he was elected a member of the French Academy of Painting, and he presented on the occasion, as his reception-piece, a picture representing the 'Progress of Painting and Sculpture during the reign of Louis XIV.;' but his masterpiece is considered to be
Cleobis and Biton drawing their Mother in a chariot to the temple of Juno,' from the story of Herodotus (i. 31); Loir himself has made an etching of it. Another of his beat works is ' Elymas the Sorcerer struck with Blindness,' in the cathedral of Notre Dame at Paris. He excelled in painting women and children, and particularly the Virgin Mary. Ho is said to have designed twelve Holy Families in a single day, which did not contain two figures alike. He died at Paris, rector of the Academy, in 1679. Lair's own etchings amount to 159 pieces, which, together with 80 engravings after his works by other artists, make a total of 239 prints. Several of the latter were engraved by his brother Alexis Loir.
Felibieu describes several of the works of Loir at considerable length. Felibien and Loir were at Rome together, and Felibien's dates have been for this reason adopted in this article, where they differ from those of D'Argenville and Gault Do Saint-Germain.
(Felibien, Entretiens sur les Via et sur lee Ouvrages des Peintres,&c. ; D'Argenvftle, Abreg6 de la Vie des plus fanteux Pcineres, &a.)